Harry Redknapp has brushed aside the explosive drama that engulfed I’m A Celebrity… South Africa, insisting the clashes that stunned viewers were nothing more than “banter” — despite a live final that spiralled into full-blown chaos.
The ITV spin-off descended into turmoil on Friday night when eventual winner Adam Thomas became locked in a heated confrontation with former footballer Jimmy Bullard. The argument reignited lingering tensions from earlier in the series, when Bullard refused to take part in a Bushtucker Trial — a decision that nearly cost both men their place in camp.
But speaking on talkSPORT alongside Ally McCoist and Andy Townshend, Redknapp appeared unfazed by the fallout. He joked that the atmosphere felt more like The Jeremy Kyle Show than a primetime reality finale.
He said he genuinely thought he’d turned up to the wrong programme, adding that he had “never seen so much aggravation” in one place. According to him, the shouting crowd and rising tensions made the entire night feel like a “nightmare”, even quipping that he wanted out of there despite technically not being a contestant.
Despite the intensity, Redknapp insisted the clashes were being blown out of proportion. Drawing on his football background, he explained that dressing rooms had always been filled with much harsher exchanges — and that what viewers saw on screen didn’t even come close. In his view, people simply “couldn’t take a bit of banter” and allowed things to escalate unnecessarily.
The final itself proved anything but smooth. Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly struggled to calm the situation as tempers flared not just between Thomas and Bullard, but also involving David Haye. Meanwhile, Gemma Collins and Sinitta dramatically walked off set, adding to the sense of a show slipping out of control.
Behind the scenes, the controversy ran even deeper. Thomas had previously opened up about the emotional toll of his clashes — particularly with Haye — admitting the experience had affected him mentally. He revealed he is now in therapy, explaining that the situation “messed with him” and left him questioning himself despite being a grown man.
His wife, Caroline, later issued a passionate defence, saying she was “horrified” by what unfolded. She described the live final as a brutal spectacle, likening it to watching “a pack of vultures attack”, and rejected any suggestion that the behaviour on display could be dismissed as harmless fun. While she praised her husband for staying composed under pressure, she made it clear the experience was far from entertaining.
The fallout didn’t stop there. In a bizarre twist, another ITV broadcast the same night was also disrupted when a member of the audience had to be forcibly removed by security — with police later making an arrest — capping off a night that left viewers stunned.
As debates continue over whether the show crossed a line, Redknapp’s stance remains firm: for him, it was all just part of the game — even if, for others, the line between “banter” and something far more serious now feels harder to ignore.
